DEAR ABBY: I am a person with a million-dollar heart and a 5-cent bank account. I have big dreams that I know could change lives. I want to write a book about my experience with emotional abuse so I can help others heal. I also dream of starting a soda stand to build something tangible with my kids. The problem is that my current life is exhausting. I’m raising kids and stepkids, navigating co-parenting drama and working a job I hate just to survive. By the time I finish the daily grind, I’m broke and bone-tired. I know there is more out there for me, but I’m struggling to stay focused when my reality feels like a trap. How can I start these projects when I’m just trying to keep my head above water? I don’t want to escape into my dreams; I want to build them.
— SODA STAND DREAMER
DEAR SODA STAND DREAMER: If you try to write a book and start a business on top of everything else, you may not do any of it well. Choose one dream and put the other on hold for now. If you choose the book, set aside some time each day (or week) and dedicate yourself to writing during that time — no excuses. If you choose the soda stand, get a part-time job at a similar business where you can learn the ropes and earn some startup money. Either dream will require a lot of work and perseverance, but don’t give up!
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have a blended family. When he received child support for his daughters, I didn’t think it was any of my business what he did with the money. When I received child support for my sons, he thought I should tell him what I spent it on. I don’t think it’s any of his business. Who’s right? Please advise me, as this has been an ongoing argument in our relationship for 20 years. Mind you, our children are grown now with children of their own, and it’s time to put this to rest. Who is right?
— HAPPILY MARRIED EXCEPT FOR THIS
DEAR HAPPILY MARRIED: You are right. You are also entitled to some privacy if it’s important to you. In light of the fact that the child support money your husband received was not a subject of discussion, I see no reason why he should feel he has the right to know how you spent yours. What matters in both cases is that the money went toward caring for the children. I truly hope that’s what happened.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I was invited to my nephew’s wedding in a small town. Without my knowledge, the mother of the groom verbally offered my hotel room to the mother of the bride of a different wedding! (The connection is that they both used the same wedding planner.) When she approached me, I declined to give up my room and move to a different hotel. Subsequently, she unilaterally withdrew my wedding invitation. Am I obligated to send a gift?
— TOTALLY STUNNED
DEAR STUNNED: What the groom’s mother did is appalling, but don’t take it out on your nephew unless you have reason to believe he was complicit in these shenanigans.
Somewhere in Philadelphia, thousands of people are about to experience something they never thought possible: getting money back from the PPA.
The Parking Authority voided 23,195 speeding tickets and is refunding $1.25 million in fines after discovering that a required speed-camera warning sign was missing from a stretch of North Broad Street. A construction crew had knocked it down, and somehow it took about three months to get a new one up.
To be clear, the drivers were still speeding. The PPA would very much like everyone to know that. But state law requires a sign warning drivers about the camera, so the tickets had to go.
There is something deeply satisfying about this. Philly drivers have spent generations feeding parking meters, sprinting back to expired spots and discovering orange envelopes tucked under windshield wipers. The PPA is usually where your money goes, never where it comes from.
So check the mail, 12,214 lucky speeders. Somewhere out there is a refund from the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
And really you should frame the check, this may never happen again.
Video: SEPTA bus passengers direct bus driver to drive through wet concrete
How did it get there? Two passengers hopped off the bus, moved the street-closure barricades themselves, and then helped direct the driver around the construction. Shockingly, that did not go well.
It gets even better when you learn that the pothole-turned-sinkhole had been there for 14 months, long enough that it had started swallowing traffic cones. The city finally showed up to fix it, poured the concrete, and blocked off the street at 7:21 p.m. The 47 bus drove into it at 7:23.
Fourteen months waiting for a repair, and it took two minutes to ruin it.
And to once again make this story even better, it happened outside a century-old Italian bakery, the bus was covered in Top Dog Law ads, and when city workers returned the next morning to fix the fix, Joey Termini brought them cannolis.
An updated rendering of the new Flyers arena released Thursday appears to show more women fans following backlash this week against the original rendering.Courtesy of the Flyers
The first renderings dropped this week, and there’s plenty to like: a facade inspired by the old Spectrum, a huge outdoor plaza, food and drink pavilions, and a giant screen outside.
But the coolest part might be seeing three teams attached to it. When the doors open in 2030, the Sixers and Flyers will be joined by Philly’s still-unnamed WNBA team, which will begin play that same year.
Four years away suddenly feels a little more real. Now, we just need a name for the team (and, eventually, the building).
Eagle Saquon Barkley runs the sidelines during an open Eagles practice at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
His forecast has Jalen Hurts doing the macarena on the first play of the season, Vic Fangio throwing up on a Dollywood roller coaster, Aaron Rodgers blaming a loss on Anthony Fauci and the illuminati, and Brandon Graham once again considering coming out of retirement. Somehow, amid all of this, the Eagles finish 12-5 and win the NFC East for a third straight year.
And you know what? Wouldn’t that be great? Twelve wins, another division title, football at Christmas, and several months spent planning Sundays around the Birds again. After an offseason of roster moves, coordinator questions, and endless predictions about what this team might be, we finally get to watch actual football.
And if we get to keep the 12-5 season, Hurts doing the macarena would just be the cherry on top.
The baked potate loaded with lump crab au gratin and a caviar “blackout” at Mr. Edison in the Bellevue costs $88.Kiki Aranita / Staff /
An $88 potato?!: F
There are certain things an $88 potato should be able to do. Like maybe change your life or fix your credit. At minimum, make you briefly forget you just spent $88 on it.
The baked potato at Mr. Edison in the Bellevue starts at an already pricey $48, stuffed with nearly half a pound of crab au gratin. Add a “blackout” of caviar and suddenly you’re sitting in front of an $88 spud.
And according to Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita, it wasn’t good.
An $88 potato should be so delicious that you spend the next week becoming an annoying person who tells everyone, “OK, but you have to try the potato.” Instead, Aranita described hers as “all mush” and pointed out that better baked potatoes can be found a few blocks away for a fraction of the price.
Caviar or no caviar, at the end of the night, it is still a potato.
Temple’s $55 million gift disappears: F
Less than a year ago, Temple was celebrating the largest donation in university history: $55 million from alumnus Christopher Barnett. This week, the school announced it was terminating the gift, removing Barnett’s name from its College of Public Health and other programs, and accepting his resignation from the board of trustees.
The reason is quite a turn. Barnett’s company, ABA Centers of America, is under federal criminal investigation over allegations including money laundering and wire fraud. Investigators allege the autism-services provider improperly billed insurers, including for treatment while clients were napping or watching television. Barnett has not been charged and “strenuously denies” the allegations.
There is a small piece of good news buried in this mess, though. Temple hadn’t gotten any of the $55 million yet, which makes it a lot easier to give the money back.
The buyer: Joanna Jaeger, 32, general manager at Bart’s Bagels.
The house: A 894-square-foot rowhouse with two bedrooms and 1½ baths built in 1920 in Lower Moyamensing.
The price: Listed for $236,900; purchased for $233,000.
The agent: Martha Lutz, OCF Realty.
Adrian Schraufnagel and June on the first floor. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The ask: Joanna Jaegerand her boyfriend, Adrian Schraufnagel,were tired of their one-bedroom in West Philly and fed up with renting in general. When their landlord announced a $200 rent increase in 2022, they notified him they would be moving out in 90 days.
The clock was ticking to find a new home.
They wanted a move-in ready place that wouldn’t immediately require expensive repairs. And after renting in West Philly for six years, they were eager to move across the river, to be closer to restaurants and morepublic transit. They also wanted to live within walking distance of a dog park.
With a ceiling of $250,000, they hoped to find something closer to $230,000.
Joanna Jaeger’s mother paid for the floors to be redone. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The search: Jaeger enlisted a friend and coworker to be her real estate agent. They visited a series of newly renovated houses because Jaeger thought they would require the fewest repairs after move-in. She put in an offer on one but didn’t get it. She was becoming increasingly panicked.
“I was like, ‘Oh my god, we’re running out of time!’” Jaeger recalled.
Then, in April she saw an intriguing house on Zillow. It was a “granny special,” she said, featuring wall-to-wall purple shag carpeting and an upstairs bathroom paneled in dark wood with a ’70s floral motif around the sink. When she visited, there was a framed portrait of Frank Sinatra on the basement wall.
Jaeger immediately loved the ’70s floral motif around the bathroom sink and the pale blue sink and tub. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
“It felt so cozy,” Jaeger said. “You could tell whoever lived there took a lot of pride in the house.”
Though she had been looking at recently flipped houses, she especially liked the old-school South Philly features, including the awning out front and the amber-colored textured glass in the vestibule.
The house was walking distance to MarconiPlaza and close to the bus and the Broad Street Line.
Joanna Jaeger immediately loved the textured amber glass in the vestibule of the South Philly house. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The deal: Jaeger told Schraufnagel that because of their tight deadline, he wouldn’t get to see the house in person before she put in an offer. He trusted her.
“He usually follows the vision that I propose,” she said.
She put in an offer for $233,000, an amount slightly under asking that her agent still deemed “respectful.” The sellers accepted the next day.
Whoever lived there took a lot of pride in the house, Joanna Jaeger thought when she visited the home. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
An inspection found the house in good condition. The main issues were an electrical system with cloth insulation — a feature in many older homes that would make an electrical panel upgrade more expensive — and basement tiles likely made from asbestos. They were already painted over by the previous owners.
“We’ve never tested it because we don’t really want to know,” Jaeger said.
Adrian Schraufnagel and Joanna Jaeger ripped up the purple shag carpeting on the floors themselves. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The money: A friend advised Jaeger not to buy a house with a boyfriend, and Schraufnagel’s credit score would have negatively impacted their interest rate.
So Jaeger decided to buy the house herself. She qualified for a first-time homebuyer loan for $11,650through Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and was able to negotiate a $2,500 seller assist after the inspection. The closing costs on the house were $13,364.
Though she had saved up $15,000 to put toward the house, she ended up withdrawing only $9,214 from her savings for a $10,000 down payment.
Schraufnagel contributes to the monthly payments, though the deed is in Jaeger’s name. With a 5.625% interest rate, the couple’s monthly payments are $1,274, plus $121 per month for mortgage insurance.
Joanna Jaeger said buying her South Philly home made her feel grounded enough to have a child. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The move: Jaegerclosed on the home in early June 2022, and she and Schraufnagel moved in the day before their West Philly lease ended.
They rented a U-Haul for large items and packed smaller ones into Jaeger’s Prius. A new neighbor saw them unloading boxes and offered to help, a sign of the close-knit community they were joining.
“They are still very fabulous neighbors,” Jaeger said.
When Jaeger’s parents visited for the first time, her dad suggested replacing the dated bathroom. “This bathroom is why we bought the house!” she told him.
The bathroom is paneled in dark wood, one of the old-school features Joanna Jaeger loved about the house. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Life after close: Jaeger and Schraufnagel ripped up the purple carpets from the first floor, the bedrooms, and the hallways themselves, and Jaeger’s mother contributed $10,000 to install new vinyl plank floors. But the work wasn’t done by the time they moved in, so they had to camp out in a corner of the living room for two days.
The house has already been a site of major life changes. Jaeger and Schraufnagel married in 2023 and welcomed their first child, June, last year.
A set of June’s paints. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
“If we hadn’t bought our house, we probably would have decided not to have a kid,” Jaeger said. “Moving into our house gave me a big sense of grounded-ness.”
The house still has its quirks: The bedrooms are connected by a closet, so if both closets are open, there’s a passageway between them. And sometimes Jaeger and Schraufnagel will come across something like mismatched molding that was clearly done by an amateur in a DIY spirit.
Even so, they don’t plan to move any time soon.
“We’re gonna own this house forever,” Jaeger said, “and probably live in this house forever.”
Did you recently buy a home in the Philadelphia area or South Jersey? Share the story of how you did it. Email Inquirer real estate reporters at properties@inquirer.com.
Connor Barwin has a tattoo of the Detroit skyline sketched on his right arm, but in nearly every other way, he’s a Philly diehard. (Some fans have wondered online whether it’s actually the Philadelphia skyline — it’s not.)
The former linebacker moved here in 2013 to play for the Eagles and “fell in love with Philly pretty quickly,” he said.
During his first season, Barwin, 39, launched the Make the World Better Foundation to fund revitalizations of city parks and playgrounds. He lived in Center City and rode SEPTA to practice.
Even when he left to play for the Rams in Los Angeles in 2017 and the Giants in New York in 2018, he maintained his civic devotion, reminding Pennsylvanians from afar to register to vote. In 2018, he moved back for good, settling in Fishtown with his wife, his now 8-year-old son and his 5-year-old daughter. He reads The Inquirer in print every Sunday.
His foundation hosts a yearly benefit concert and has transformed the Vare Recreation Center in Grays Ferry and Waterloo Playground in Kensington, among others.
Barwin now works for the Eagles as head of football development and strategy. On his perfect day, he orders the same breakfast he’s eaten roughly 199 times before, (quietly) roots for his kids from the sideline of their soccer games, and spends several happy hours at the Linc.
A perfect day for Connor Barwin involves biking to breakfast with his wife and two children. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
7 a.m.
I’m sleeping in, and waking up around 7 — on my own and not with my kids jumping in my bed. I have quiet time with my wife. I still get the physical paper delivered on Sundays, and if I can get 30 minutes to read it before my kids wake up, that’s the start of a perfect day.
8 a.m.
All of us get on our bikes and ride over to Cafe La Maude. I don’t know how I discovered it, but I’ve been going there for about 12 years. I get the open-faced burrito. I’ve probably been there 200 times, and I’ve ordered the open-faced burrito 199 times. I hear they have a lot of other great things on their menu, but I don’t waver.
9:30 a.m.
We bike home. It’s about a mile, and when you’re with two young kids, you have to take your time. Cycling is the perfect thing because it gets me outside, it gets me with my family, and we’re all getting some exercise.
11 a.m.
We go watch my kids play soccer in a local club. You just can’t forget the chairs because there’s usually not seating. On my perfect day, I’m sitting and watching both of them from the same vantage point.
I try to let them have that space and for their coach to do the coaching, and I just try to observe. There’s three things that are most important: to have fun, be a good teammate, and play hard. And if kids are doing that, they’re getting what they should be getting out of sports.
Connor Barwin sits for a portrait in his backyard, where his kids like to play soccer. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
12:30 p.m.
Around the block from where we live is a great little corner store, D&C Deli. We’ll walk down and get hoagies from there. I get the Italian, my wife gets the turkey. My kids get turkey and cheese or tuna. It’s one of the great parts about living in the city.
1 p.m.
I drop off the family. I get dressed and get whatever I need. Then I’m heading down to the Eagles stadium to be there three-plus hours before the 4:25 game.
1:30 p.m.
I run the stadium stairs, taking in the stadium before it fills up. It’s a tradition that I like to do since I stopped playing.
I love seeing and talking to the people who work in the stadium. I have some fun conversations with them about what they think about the game. They play a big role in the game day experience, so I enjoy that. And then I have my responsibilities before a game.
4:25 p.m.
I’m locked into my role. There’s a focus and intensity to it. I often get asked, do I miss not being a player anymore? I would say I don’t really miss it because I enjoy still being a part of it, and the intensity and competition that comes with it.
7:30 p.m.
The Eagles win. After the game, I hang out with my family and other families in the stadium for an hour or so to let traffic die down. Maybe on a perfect day it’s not a close game, so people leave early and there’s less traffic.
8:30 p.m.
When I played, I always got Santucci’s pizza after home games. Now I go back and forth between Santucci’s and Pizzeria Beddia. If I’m ordering Santucci’s, it’s a mushroom pizza. If I’m at Beddia, we’re usually getting the corn pie. My wife’s favorite is the pizza with greens. And we get the plain as well.
10 p.m.
We put the kids to bed, and then my wife and I have a Lambrusco.
The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
On Regional Rail, I often sit in the aisle of a three-seater, knowing the car will fill up at rush hour. When it does, I stand up so another passenger can take the middle seat, then return to my aisle seat. My friend says that’s awkward on a busy car, and I should just slide over. Who’s right?
Beatrice Forman, Food & Dining reporter
I feel like sliding over is one of those things that’s baked into the social contract of riding public transit, TBH.
If it’s a busy car, it’s your moral duty to slide over and free up the aisle seat. Sitting at the end of the row is a defensive posture that makes it seem like you don’t want someone next to you.
Abigail Covington, Life & Culture reporter
The right thing to do is slide over.
Beatrice Forman
I think it’s weird because it treats the middle seat kind of like a punishment? And most Regional Rail rides aren’t long enough to the point that it matters. One of my favorite facts about Regional Rail is that none of the trains have bathrooms because the trips aren’t that long.
Abigail Covington
I would absolutely do what the writer does. Everybody knows the middle seat is terrible. The window is better because you don’t have people on either side of you. The aisle is better because it makes it easier and faster to get off the train. The only reason to sit in the middle is if there is nowhere else to sit. If the aisle was open when you got to it, you hold onto that seat for dear life. It’s basically like riding first class for free.
Beatrice Forman
I don’t know that taking the middle seat makes it that much slower to get off the train. It’s like when people stand as soon as the airplane lands! It doesn’t help you move any quicker. The real prime real estate is getting a seat close enough to a door. First class does still have middle seats, after all.
I always slide over because of the golden rule. I would hate to be relegated to the middle seat for the rest of my life just because my stop is closer to the end of the line.
Abigail Covington
Yeah, Bea, you’re correct. The right, polite thing to do is slide over. If you’re getting up to let someone else in, you’re causing commotion in the aisle, forcing others to move, or shoving them closer together. Trains work best when everybody on them works together to create a seamless, efficient experience. Like stepping off the train at a stop if you’re standing by the door. By not scooting over, you’re being a bottleneck.
Beatrice Forman
And no one likes a bottleneck.
Abigail Covington
Exactly. And I say that with love, as a fellow aisle seat-addicted bottleneck.
Beatrice Forman
You know, at least they’re not one of those people that take their shoes off on the train. Those people deserve the middle seat for life.
DEAR ABBY: About 15 years ago, my nephew gave me a birthday gift of a baseball bat signed by a top player. I love baseball, so it was a lovely gift. After I thanked him, he said, “When my son is older, I would like you to give it to him.” We have been estranged now for at least 10 years because his spouse dislikes our family for some reason.
Am I obligated to find a way to get the bat back to him? Looking at their Facebook over the years, I see no signs that there is any interest in baseball in this son or their family. I am in my later years and have been trying to downsize and pass on some of my things. I would rather pass it on to a grandchild of mine who loves and currently plays baseball and would treasure it.
— DOWNSIZING BASEBALL FAN
DEAR FAN: This family has chosen to cut ties with you. They cannot reasonably expect you to track down a grandnephew with whom you have no relationship. In fact, it was crass of your nephew to put a stipulation on the gift in the first place. Pass the bat to the grandchild you know and love.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been married for 20 years. My in-laws and I have had a decent relationship. My husband, our three teenage children and I have been living with them for 10 years. It was rough at first, but things got better. My in-laws received and spent three cushy inheritances (close to $3.5 million) over the last 22 years. They also maxed out a reverse mortgage within the past two years. Abby, they have not one dime of it left! Things started to go downhill about four years ago. My husband and I have bailed them out financially too many times to count. We’re not financially struggling, but our nest egg (that we worked hard for and was to go toward buying our own home) is nearly gone. The in-laws have slid back into their old ways again — not paying bills, not cleaning up after themselves, not helping with household chores, neglecting their health, etc.
My in-laws gave us their powers of attorney for health and finance a few months ago. They agreed to allow us to help them get organized, make a budget, clean up their house, make appointments and hold them accountable. They invariably play the victim and complain when we try to discuss things. Over the past eight months, I’ve had two breakdowns. This is affecting my mental and physical health. My kids want nothing to do with their grandparents. I’m not perfect, but I do have self-respect. Please help!
— ON EDGE IN WASHINGTON
DEAR ON EDGE: It’s time to recognize that your in-laws may have a problem that you and your husband are not equipped to handle. That you now have their powers of attorney may (or may not) save all of you. For everyone’s sake, stop enabling them and enlist the help of a licensed financial counselor to help straighten out this mess. Go online and look for an accredited or certified credit counselor affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (nfcc.org.). Their “slide back into their old ways” may have a medical explanation, which means your in-laws need to be evaluated medically and neurologically. Please don’t wait.
Meta released its new personal AI agent on Tuesday and named it Muse (like this bot is going to inspire humanity to write the next great tragedy and not relegate us to become the lead characters in one).
Of course, Muse could refer to the act of thinking about something very carefully, but that would be even more ironic, given that some experts in the field have sounded alarm bells that AI is advancing faster than humanity is prepared for.
Admittedly, I didn’t hear about the launch until two days after its release (I’m not a tech reporter and still keep a paper calendar), but I was surprised by how it did come to my attention.
In a post on Threads, user @rpennone pointed out how similar Muse’s stroke-like “M” logo is to the logo of one our city’s most beloved institutions, Mural Arts Philadelphia.
View on Threads
I pulled up the two logos on my computer, put them side-by-side, and it painted a pretty clear picture.
Part of our DNA
Typically an “M” is two sets of arches, sometimes with a little rat tail on the upper left side for flair. But both of these Ms have three peaks and valleys with little rat-tail flairs at both ends. Granted, Muse’s logo is blue, while Mural Arts’ is typically purple (though like Gritty’s belly button, it can change colors), and the former’s logo also has more fluid lines, while the latter’s are more rigid. Still, the resemblance is enough to make you go “hmm…”
View on Threads
Given how much people are worried about AI copying everything we create, this isn’t going to help the situation. Maybe nobody outside of Philly would catch it, but Mural Arts is a part of the very fabric of this city, part of its DNA, and someone here was bound to notice the similarity and defend its honor. Nobody paints our baby into a corner.
The 150-foot “Welcome to Philly” mural by artist Alloyius McIlwaine on the 1000 block of Market Street. The mural was a collaboration between Mural Arts Philadelphia, the Center City District, Comcast, HBSE, and the ownership group of the 76ers.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
For its part, Mural Arts was very diplomatic about the matter. Spokesperson Frank Luzi told me there’s no concern on the nonprofit’s part about copyright infringement and there are no plans for legal action.
“They feel like they are two very different organizations,” he said.
Designed by artist Chenlin Cai, “The Past Supporting the Future” mural in Chinatown was collaborative project by the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, Mural Arts Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
‘Definitely a resemblance’
Here’s the interesting thing, Muse’s logo was designed by a human who “cut my creative teeth in Philadelphia,” according to her website.
Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and author specializing in “typographical work for logos, film, books, and other commercial applications,” whose previous clients include companies like Target and Hallmark and people like Barack Obama and Wes Anderson. Based in Oakland, Calif., she graduated from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in design and illustration.
I reached out to ask her about the similarities in the logos. In an e-mailed statement, she said Meta contacted her after doing its own sketch of an M inspired by a pen stroke or scribble. She said she refined the design by “playing with the stroke angles, end treatments, and vertical rhythm.”
Hische sent me a screenshot of the “M” Meta provided her and 30-plus variations she worked on until she landed on the final version.
I had to squint pretty hard to detect the differences, but lettering isn’t my field of expertise. Meta’s initial version does look more rigid and even more like Mural Arts’ logo, while Hische’s is more fluid.
Mural Arts Philadelphia lead teaching artist and muralist Jamee Grigsby (left) and an apprentice continue painting a mural focused around what accessible justice looks like, at the Mayfair Athletic Club in Russo Park on Edmund Street in Philadelphia on July 30, 2024.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Hische said she was familiar with the Mural Arts program from her time in Philly but hadn’t seen its logo, which was created by J2, a Philly-based branding company, and debuted in 2016.
“There’s definitely a resemblance (and it would have been even closer had we landed on the brushier versions of the “M” I had explored!) but ultimately what Meta hired me to do was to make the mark they had created less rigid and more fluid,” Hische wrote. “The rigidity, regularity, and perfect symmetry are defining qualities of the Mural Arts M (along with the brush stroke treatment), and it’s a great logo.”
Common threads
I appreciated Hische’s response and recognition of the resemblance. It’s not the first time logos have looked similar (Korean Air’s logo looks more like the Pepsi logo than the Pepsi logo does). It’s unclear where or how Meta came up with the original “M” logo Hische was asked to fine-tune. Meta did not return my requests for comment.
The logo for Korean Air bares an uncanny resemblance to Pepsi’s logo. Lee Jin-man
Later in the day, I saw Hische was catching flak online from people in her field for a completely different reason.
Because the digital world is a creepy stalker, as I was scrolling on Threads that evening, my feed suddenly become flooded with posts about Hische from people I don’t follow. Users on Threads — which is owned by Meta — were both condemning her for working on Meta’s AI project and defending her for working on it. Hische also penned her own nine-part Thread explaining her rationale, which includes the line “I have literally been touching grass more because of AI” and ends with a pitch for her latest children’s book.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this is right where Threads wanted me to end up. Why did that initial post about the logos from someone I didn’t follow pop up in my feed? Why did it also end up in the feed of an editor who sent it my way, confirming for me I should write this piece?
I thought I was pulling a thread, but maybe Threads was pulling me all along.
A “critical” Peco project to install new utility poles in West Philly has been paused after residents expressed outrage over plans to trim their tree canopy.
Don and his three oldest kids rowing as a family, with Ava in the second position.Cour
🎤 Here’s Becca O’Reilly with a story for The Inquirer on a rower’s “surreal” journey.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Ava Smith crossed the finish line in Bulgaria as a proud member of an elite eight-person boat representing the U.S. Under-19 national women’s rowing team.
“Crossing the finish line, it was a feeling of accomplishment,” said Smith, who took up the sport only four years earlier at Mount St. Joseph Academy in Flourtown, Montgomery County. “A sort of relief, in a way, just knowing it’s done. We put it all out there.”
Smith picked up an oar for the first time as a freshman at Mount St. Joseph, but rowing runs in her blood. Her father, Don Smith, competed for the U.S. at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics; her older brother, Luke Smith, rows at Stanford and made the Under-19 national men’s team; and her sister, Addy Smith, now rows at Texas. Even the youngest Smith, Arden, plans to row as she starts her freshman year at Mount St. Joseph.
This summer, that legacy came full circle. After years of sibling-fueled rivalry, Ava earned a spot in the women’s eight as the seven seat and traveled to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to compete at the World Rowing Under-19 Championships, a spot secured after a whirlwind six weeks that took her from a selection camp in California to the start line across the world. And all of it just days before she leaves for her own next chapter: Rowing at the University of California, Berkeley. — Becca O’Reilly
🎸 An activity: Bryn Mawr Twilight Concert series with Mdou Moctar (solo) and Tim Motzer (Friday; $26), and the third-annual Spring Garden Sunflower Fest (Saturday; free).
A blissful view
Breathe in…and breathe out.Paola Pérez
Take a moment to soak up this sunrise with me. I was blessed with it while visiting family in Florida.
👋🏽 Have a good one out there.
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DEAR ABBY: My friend “Ben” and I had many ups and downs in our 30-year friendship. Three years ago, we had one of our periodic blowouts and stopped speaking. I found out recently that he passed away a year later, and I was never informed. The obituary I found online does not mention a cause of death.
I wrote a letter of condolence to his wife, but it was returned, and I found out that she moved away from the house where she and Ben had been living. I would like to know what happened to my friend, as he was only in his early 50s. Although we were not speaking at the time of his death, we had many years of friendship under our belts, and I cared about him. I found a Facebook page for his wife, but this seems an impersonal way of reaching out on such a sober topic. Any suggestions?
— CARED FOR HIM IN THE SOUTH
DEAR CARED: If you and Ben had mutual friends, a way to find out the information you’re looking for, including his widow’s address, might be through them. Do it privately. To approach her online asking for the details of his death would be off-putting, insensitive and possibly hurtful in light of the fact that you were estranged at the time of his death.
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DEAR ABBY: My 63rd birthday is coming up. I do not like celebrating my birthday and never have. I would prefer that the day be ignored. I know my wife of almost 38 years, our two boys and their significant others are planning something. I would prefer they spend the money on themselves or at least donate it to some worthy charity rather than spend it on me. Given that birthdays are important to them, must I just grin and bear it, or should I say something and risk causing ill will?
— OLDER IN ISRAEL
DEAR OLDER: Surely your wife, who has been with you for nearly four decades, knows your feelings on this subject. Tell her you know something is afoot, and gently mention that you would prefer that the celebration be kept small. Name the charity of your choice, and tell her you hope the birthday budget will be sent there rather than spent on you.
If your wife ignores your plea and a massive fete does materialize, do your best to endure it with grace and a smile. Remember that these people are celebrating you because they love you.
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DEAR ABBY: I’m married, and I’ve recently started developing a crush on my co-worker. We have worked together for four years. I’m not going to pursue anything, because cheating is against my morals. I just feel bad for having these feelings. What can I do to get my feelings toward my co-worker in check?
— CRUSHING IN ILLINOIS
DEAR CRUSHING: The guilt you are experiencing is a good thing; it has kept you from making a terrible mistake. If it’s any comfort, bear in mind that crushes like this usually lessen in time, even if they make the present somewhat uncomfortable.
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TO MY READERS: Happy New Year to my friends of the Jewish faith! During this time of repentance, observant Jews reflect on their lives and make amends, seeking a closer relationship with God. Happy Rosh Hashanah!
Kelly N. Moore, 46, of Burlington Township, award-winning clinical psychologist, founder of Moore Wellness LLC, director of the Center for Psychological Services at Rutgers University, graduate school clinical associate professor, former fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, mentor, author, mental health activist, volunteer, and 2026 Willingboro High School Hall of Fame inductee, died Thursday, Aug. 20, of kidney cancer at Virtua Voorhees Hospital.
Adept at treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and perinatal disorders, Dr. Moorebecame director of the Rutgers Center for Psychological Services and a clinical associate professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology in 2020. As CPS director, she mentored hundreds of doctoral students regarding academic requirements and clinical procedures, and supervised the center’s community mental health clinic.
She significantly expanded the center’s services and outreach, Rutgers colleagues said in a Facebook tribute, and forged important partnerships on campus and in the community. Colleagues said: “Her warm demeanor, melodic voice, vibrant spirit, and calming presence made all who met, and were fortunate enough to know her, feel seen, welcomed, and heard.”
She spent two years as a fellow at Penn’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety after earning her doctorate in clinical psychology at Rutgers in 2011. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded Moore Wellness LLC and focused on helping women, children, and clients of color.
“Wellness does not mean you will never experience challenges,” Dr. Moore said in an online profile for Psychology Today magazine. “Rather, it means having the tools to manage the challenges when faced with them.”
Dr. Moore was an outspoken activist for mental health education and services. She spoke with groups often, organized workshops, and was featured in newspapers and magazines and on TV and podcasts. “Just trying to get people to understand as much as they can about the impact their mental health and well being have on their day-to-day lives,” she said in a 2026 podcast interviewwith the Multicultural Counseling Institute.
She belonged to the American Psychological Association and the New Jersey chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists. She was active with the Therapy for Black Girls podcast and the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology.
Dr. Moore was a cheerleader and lacrosse player, and graduated from Cornell University in 2002.Courtesy of the family
She earned leadership and achievement awards from the New Jersey Psychological Association, the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, and other groups. She was president and a board member of the Burlington County chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc. Colleagues there called her “a beautiful example of leadership, service, grace, and love.”
Kelly Nicole Walker was born Aug. 20, 1980, in Philadelphia. Her family moved to Willingboro when she was 2, and she graduated from Willingboro High School in 1998.
She was a cheerleader and played lacrosse and viola as a teenager. Her mother, Diana, was a social worker, and she showed Dr. Moore up close how one person could impact their community.
“I was just fascinated by this concept,” Dr. Moore told the Multicultural Counseling Institute in the podcast interview. “It was already set at a young age that this was the kind of work I should be doing.”
She earned a bachelor’s degree in human development at Cornell University in 2002 and a master’s degree in education at Penn in 2003.
She met Melvin Moore through friends, and they married in 2004 and had sons Miles, Mason, and Matthew. They lived in Marlton and Delanco, and, since 2015, in Burlington Township.
Dr. Moore was a longtime member and dance choreographer at the Gospel Tabernacle Church. She joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. at Cornell in 2000 and was on the executive board of its Pi Mu Omega chapter in Willingboro.
Friends noted her “warmth, generosity, and kindness,” and called her “genuine” and “quietly brilliant” in online tributes. One friend said: “She sure made me proud to be from Willingboro.”
Dr. Moore and her husband, Melvin, married in 2004 and had three sons. Courtesy of the family
Dr. Moore doted on her sons and called them her “M & M’s.” She was an avid reader and led several book clubs.
She liked to garden, play piano, take photos, cook, and crochet. She was diagnosed with renal medullary carcinoma about a year ago and was determined, her husband said, to reach her 46th birthday. She did it.
